The Environment and The Pandemic: The Future

The pandemic has brought our relationship with the environment into sharp relief. How will the pandemic change our relationship to the environment going forward? Will we have a greater appreciation of nature and work to protect it?  Will we return to the lessons of our ancestors who had a stronger tie with the land? Have we learned how interconnected we are to nature?

 

Anishinaabe Pandemic Prophecies by Isaac Murdoch

"The elders are constantly reminding us to go back to the land because it's the biggest and most powerful healthcare system we have."

 

Pollution: While pollution has declined by some measures during this time, by other measures it has increased, with devastating and continuing effects on the environment and wildlife.

 

Masks save human, affect animals

"The idea that the animal was the culprit of the pandemic helped to mark our superiority over other species, once more. We never thought about our relationship with the animal, the lack of harmony between different species, our footprint in nature, etc."

Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of sustainability

There were both positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment and climate. This article proposes possible strategies for global environmental sustainability going forward.

Human effects on wildlife in a pandemic

COVID-19 "has allowed researchers to figure out more on how humans have an effect on wildlife."

Lockdown Laughs

"After this pandemic ends, I hope that we appreciate the clean air and work on decreasing the amount of pollution we create."

 

The mask trash series

"The mask trash series seeks to highlight the increase in pandemic-related trash, and give space to a facet of history we often wish we could ignore: the waste we either intentionally or inadvertently discard."

This is a picture of a face mask that has been discarded in the dirt below a drainage area. A concrete walkway extends above it.

Mask trash #22

This is a picture of a discarded face mask resting next to a fence. Children's bicycles and trikes are leaned against the other side of the fence.

Mask trash #4

This is a picture of a man standing in a street smiling for the camera, while carrying a plastic grocery bag in one had, and flashing a thumbs up with the other. He is wearing sunglasses, shorts, and a shirt that reads "Don't be trash" on it with a recycling symbol in the center.

Cleaning up during quarantine

"We depend heavily on the earth, however, we sometimes forget to take care of our planet.”

 

Gardening and Growing Food: Gardening and growing food activites have blossomed during the pandemic. Will this trend towards connecting on a regular basis with nature and being self-sufficient for foodstuffs be a positive legacy of the pandemic times? Will sharing food from our garden with our neighbors strengthen our community ties?

 

Gardening: Feeding the Planet and Ourselves

"We now know that we can swap seeds, share knowledge, and nurture our capacity to grow food. We can strengthen our social bonds, support mutual aid, and work to divert some of the 80 million pounds of food that are wasted, ensuring no one goes to bed hungry."

Home gardening blooms around the world during coronavirus lockdowns

"Gardening may be a rare positive trend to emerge from the crippling pandemic. We'll come out in the end and hopefully everyone will be eating better and gardening more and more self-reliant."

COVID19 and wildlife

"A growing body of research, including research by Conservation International scientists, points to a direct link between the destruction of nature and disease outbreaks—spotlighting the role of protecting and restoring nature in preventing future pandemics."

Why COVID-19 will end up harming the environment

This article warns that “COVID will only offer a brief respite from environmental problems like air pollution. Post-COVID, we may see even worse pollution and accelerated climate change."

Prev Next